"Skullbriar of the Scale"

"Skullbriar of the Scale"

by:

Virgilio F. De leon Jr.

While I was trying to improve my existing Skullbriar deck for Tiny Leaders a few weeks back I came by a lot of readings regarding the Hardened Scales from Khans of Tarkir. Like a true lab maniac I remembered that I had a lone copy somewhere from the mountain of card piles that have claimed our family dresser like some explosive vegetation. 

When I finally found the copy after some extensive and back breaking moving of boxes and careful moving of cards that were still under development( Some EDH decks , Some Tiny Leaders Decks , Some Sparkwars decks etc.) I was filled with so much glee. Like Squee with a new toy.

I began making this Skullbriar Tiny Leader deck that would be supported by the 1 green mana costing Hardened Scales.

The ideal scenario would be to get the Hardened Scale on your opening hand. If you need to Mulligan to get it there then by all means do so because it will be worth your time.

Ideally you get to play 1 forest and the Hardened Scale then play a swamp or dual colored land on turn 2 for Skullbriar which could attack and if it should connect(and here is to hoping that it does) gets an extra +1/+1 counter thanks to our wonderful one drop enchantment. So right off the bat it becomes a 3/3 with the probability of growing 2 counters at a time each time it attacks and connects to your opponents face. So it becomes 5/5 , 7/7 and then 9/9 on the succeeding turns. Without a handy removal spell it could commander damage your opponent to death pretty quickly.

Skullbriar is one of those commanders who literally do not fear death. Opponents are wary of mass blocking him since what all that does is kill him for the meantime and he takes all of those other creatures with him. Of course Skullbriar still comes back with all those of nifty counters it acquired on the previous turns unless he goes to his owners hand or library. And if the battlefield is open he could deal damage readily because of his haste.And most of the time that would be the end of the game.

Hardened Scales and Skullbriar. So much tougher together.  

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Editors Note:

I included this unfinished deck. Mostly from stuff that I have lying around in the house. Thanks for always reading. Feel free to tweak the deck as I have not had the pleasure to come back to it since it is now in a pile somewhere that I cannot find.

Commander: Skullbriar

1 x Servant of the Scale

1 x Ainok Guide

1 x Den Protector

1 x Hangarback Walker

1 x Endless One

1 x Mist Cutter Hydra

1 x Rot Shambler

1 x Avatar of Resolute

1 x Champion of Lambholt

1 x Renegade Krasis

1 x Predator Ooze

1 x Predatory Slith

Enchantments:

1 x Hardened Scales

1 x Retribution of the Ancients

1 x Retreat to Kazandu

Instant and Sources

1 x Earthen Arms

1 x Bone Splinters

1 x Inspiring Call

1 x Altar's Reap

1 x Ultimate Price

1 x Umezawas Jitte?

1 x Inkmoth Nexus

1 x Llanowar Waste

1 x Blighted Woodland

1 x Evolving Wild

1 x Jungle Hollow

1 x Blighted Fen